Home is Where the Heart is
by StarWarsRocksMySocks
Summary: When Asami is attacked in the street, a mysterious waterbender saves her life. Asami, eternally grateful for Korra's kindness, seeks her out - but there is more to the secretive waterbender than meets the eye. Homeless Korra AU. Korrasami.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own The Legend of Korra or any of it's characters.**

 **...**

Asami drove slowly through the snowy streets of Republic City. The snow was thick, scrunching under her wheels.

It'd been a long, tiring day at Sato Industries. She'd attended two meetings in the morning, sorted out a mechanical issue in one of the factories, and then been to two more meetings in the early evening. She couldn't wait to get home, have a glass of wine and put her feet up for an hour.

It was already dark, and the street lights didn't offer much light because the snow was coming down so heavily.

Glancing at the time, and then her speedo, she decided she was going a little too fast and gently pressed the brake pedal. She didn't want to ruin her newly refurbished vechle. She'd worked hard on it, spending the majority of her free time working on it.

Rolling slowly at exactly 13mph, Asami gasped, almost jumping out of her skin when a snowball smacked loudly onto the side of her window.

Still gasping for air, she rolled down her window, the splat of snow falling off in one big clump. She peaked her head out, noticing a group of five or so men, looking to be around their mid twenties.

"Hey lady." One of them said gruffly, "Get out of the car. Now."

Asami reached into the passenger seat, where her shock glove was tucked into her bag. She remained silent and watched the group of men.

"Didn't you hear him?" One of the other men said. He was wearing all black, apart from the red stitching in his jacket. Asami assumed he was a fire bender. "Get out of the car!" He yelled angrily.

"Leave me alone." Asami warned, trying to hide the nervousness in her voice.

She wasn't scared; hell, she could hold her own very well with all of her self defence training. But it was dark out and snowing heavily - she'd be at a disadvantage, given the circumstances.

Suddenly one of the men summoned a large block of ice from the ground, and hurled it in the direction of Asami's satomobile.

Just barely in time, Asami swung open the door and hurled herself out of the car before the waterbenders attack smashed straight through her window. Shattered glass rained down upon her, bouncing off her jacket and settling uncomfortably in her hair.

Asami winced, the sting in her hands informing her that she'd scraped them as she pounded to the ground. Before she could register anything, the voices were back.

"Get her!"

A rough hand wrapped around her upper arm and before Asami could do anything, the hand suddenly released its bruising grip on her arm and she felt an icy coldness on her face and through her hair.

"She asked you to leave her alone." Said a new voice.

Heart racing, Asami frantically looked up and saw a woman, stood slightly crouched, with one hand outstretched.

She snapped her head in the other direction to see the assumed firebender encased in a block of solid ice, his nose and the top half of his head peaking out. He tried to speak, but no sound came, the ice trapping his entire body save his nose upwards.

"Who the hell do you think you are, street scum?" The waterbender who had thrown the ice block at her was yelling at the unknown woman. He soon dropped into an offensive bending stance. His cronies also did the same, setting the feet and raising their hands, ready for a fight.

Asami assessed the situation quickly. Her shock glove was in the satomobile and there was no way she could grab it before someone noticed. The unknown girl couldn't take on five benders by herself, could she?

The waterbending thug didn't wait for an answer - fast as lightning, he thrust out his arm and thick snake of water shot towards the girl.

Asami watched, out of fear and amazement as the girl pivoted, bringing her hands behind her back and bending the jet of water back towards the sender at double the speed. The water froze at the last second and struck the thug in the chest, sending him to the ground and leaving him wheezing, struggling for breath.

Asami ducked and yelped as a blast of fire barely missed her head. She closed her eyes in fear and fought the memories of her mother's death desperately. Her breathing was quickening by the second, and she couldn't bring herself to open her eyes.

She felt the rumbles of earth, heard splashing of water and the hiss of hot flames. After what felt like hours, but was only a minute or so, Asami felt a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Hey. Are you okay?" She heard a soft, caring voice.

Asami hesitantly looked up.

She was met with the face of the woman. Asami was kind of startled by her disheveled appearance - the girl had mocha skin, smudged with dirt and dust. Her hair was matted and dusty, and the wetness of the snow made it cling to the sides of her face.

"Can you hear me?" She asked gently.

Asami nodded. The girl helped her to her feet.

Asami brushed the snow off of her jacket and glanced behind her.

The five men that attacked her were all sprawled out on the ground, groaning and grumbling. The firebender still remained frozen in a huge block of ice, while the others were dazed on the floor.

The woman stepped past Asami suddenly and pointed an accusing finger at the men. "Get out of here now, or you'll regret it."

The dazzled men seemed to consider their options before gingerly raising to their feet. The water bender, who now had a furious black eye and a giant hole in his parka, unfroze the block his friend was encased in.

As soon as he was freed from his icy chamber, he thrust out his fist and a blast of blazing amber came hurtling towards the two women.

Asami's saviour waterbent a wall of shimmering aqua to absorb the blast before pushing her hands out, the water turning into hundreds of icy shards in a matter of seconds.

The man flinched violently and covered his face with his arms, waiting for the fatal strike, for the ice spikes to pierce through his clothes and skin.

Asami watched in amazement as the shards hovered mere centimetres from the firebenders body, as well as the rest of his cronies.

"Leave, now. I don't want to see your faces ever again." The waterbending woman warned threateningly, her voice almost low enough to pass as a growl.

Soon, the group of thugs were scurrying away, some limping or clutching their arms.

She dropped the ice crystals to the ground and rushed over to Asami.

"Are you sure you're okay? Did you get hurt?" The mocha skinned woman asked, eyes skimming over Asami's face and body, checking for any kind of injuries.

Asami took a shaky breath before standing up straight. Images of the attack on her mother when she was a child flashed through her mind, but she pushed them away. Now really wasn't the time. "I-I'm fine, thank you. I can't thank you enough for what you just did for me."

The other girl smiled awkwardly. "It's no problem. I was, uh, passing by and saw the whole thing. I couldn't let those jerks hurt you, spirits, what they could've done to you!" She exclaimed angrily.

Asami could see the other girl was clearly getting worked up. It made her smile internally, this girl clearly had a heart of gold. She'd have appreciated it more if she weren't so shaken up; the firebending had only made it worse.

"Because of you, nothing happened. And I'm very grateful for that." The raven haired woman said sincerely, trying to calm down the other woman.

Asami held out her hand, gesturing for a handshake. "I'm Asami, by the way."

The other girl glanced at Asami's hand before glancing down at her own. Hesitantly, she reached for Asami's hand and gripped it in a firm handshake.

"Korra." She said, quickly breaking the handshake.

Asami finally got the chance to get a real look at this girl, at Korra. She'd noticed the dirty splotches on her face and the crazy mess that was her hair. Asami took in what Korra was wearing.

The woman was dressed in a blue parka, which didn't look all that warm. The parka was also dirty, with patches of muck and dirt here and there. There were holes in her baggy sweats, and her boots looked like they'd seen much, much better days. She was dressed like a water tribe girl, and looked like one, but Asami couldn't see any cultural sashes or anything like that. She knew Korra was a water bender, so it was a little strange.

"I, uh, know what you're thinking." Korra'a voice broke Asami from her thoughts. Asami quickly snapped to attention and looked at Korra, who was rubbing the back of her neck nervously. "Sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

Asami frowned, not really understanding what Korra was getting at. "You saved my life. Why would that make me uncomfortable?"

The waterbender looked towards the ground and shifted her weight in the thick snow, "I'm really dirty." She mumbled to the ground.

"Korra, you just saved my life. I don't care." Asami quickly wrapped her arms around the girl's shoulders and wrapped her into a hug.

She felt the bender stiffen slightly in her arms before she felt an awkward pat on the back. Asami realised that she probably felt uncomfortable.

"Is there any way I can repay you?" Asami said as she stepped back.

Korra's blue eyes met Asami's, "No, it's okay. I'm just happy you're okay. Just be careful around here, okay? Especially at night, it's not always safe."

Asami, slightly shocked that Korra didn't want anything in return, stepped back a little and quickly assessed the damage to her vehicle. It could be fixed quite easily. "I can't thank you enough."

Korra gave her a tiny lopsided grin. "Don't mention it. Stay safe, okay?"

Asami nodded, wanting to just say thank you again and again. Asami stepped into the satomobile and restarted the engine. "You have a heart of gold, Korra." She said, loud enough for Korra to hear.

Korra, who had started walking away, stopped for a moment, just barely glancing over her shoulder towards the raven haired girl. She gave the slightest of nods before beginning her journey again.

Asami drove home with no issues, thankfully.

When she finally settled into bed, after a hot shower and a steaming cup of tea, she struggled to find the sleep she so desperately needed.

Images of her mother's pained face flashed through Asami's mind, bringing hot tears to her eyes.

And Korra. That mysterious waterbender who'd showed up out of nowhere; and practically saved her life. Who knows what those awful men had in store for her.

She shivered at the thought and burrowed deeper into the covers.

Asami exhausted her mind for the next hour, just thinking. About her mother, those thugs in the street, Korra's admirable kindness and courage.

A grateful smile spread across her lips before sleep took her.

...

 **A/N 1: I have no idea where the idea for this story came from, but it was an interesting topic, so I thought, why not give it a try? This is also my first LoK fic that I've posted.**

 **A/N 2: As mentioned in the story description, Korra is the Avatar, and is also homeless. More will be revealed later in the story about her situation and her past.**

 **A/N 3: I know Asami can handle her own and everything but I needed her to be vulnerable so Korra could meet/save her.**

 **A/N 4: Thanks for reading, chapter two should be around soon! Until next time.**


	2. Chapter 2

Korra awoke to the familiar feeling of cold, set deep into her bones.

She sat up slowly, her neck and back aching. She'd been sleeping in the same deserted alleyway for four days now.

It wasn't too bad - it was a thin alleyway, between two restaurants that only opened in the early evenings. The closeness of the buildings offered better shelter from the snow and it reduced the harshness of the icy winds.

The alleyway was much more sheltered than where she had previously been sleeping. The last alleyway had been full of tiny mole rats, that stunk of disease. It hadn't offered much shelter from the rain and snow either, since the buildings it was between were so far apart. Those nights she spent there had been _really_ cold.

Sure, she was born in the Southern Water Tribe and lived there for a few years, but it didn't mean that she didn't get cold. Her self warming powers from bending could only do so much, too.

Korra sighed as she stood up, working out the kinks in her neck and lower back. Sleeping against a hard, stone wall wasn't the most comfortable thing, especially when you didn't have a lot of padding to work with.

Korra's thoughts shifted back to Asami, the woman she had protected from the brutes trying to-well, whatever they were trying to do.

It sickened Korra how people could even imagine attacking someone, especially a young woman all alone at night. It made her sick to her stomach, and it angered her so much that sometimes she worried she'd accidentally trigger the Avatar State.

 _Huh, like that would ever happen_ , Korra thought bitterly to herself.

She'd mastered all four elements - but she was still struggling to connect with her spiritual side. She'd never entered the Avatar State and never ventured into the spirit world, or made contact with her past lives. She was a spiritual failure, and she knew it. She'd eventually mastered airbending, but because she wasn't in touch with her spiritual side, she struggled a lot.

Korra sincerely hoped that Asami made it back home okay. She presumed she'd never see the woman again but it didn't matter - Korra knew she had helped that woman and that was enough for her.

Korra had desperately wanted to say yes when Asami offered her money. She wanted it so badly; to fill her empty stomach, to buy an extra blanket or a new parka for when the weather got even worse.

But Korra wouldn't just take advantage of someone when they were vulnerable, especially when they'd just been attacked in the middle of the night.

Korra slid down the wall where she had been sleeping and just sat for a while, thinking. She wrapped her arms around her legs, bringing them close to her chest, hoping to preserve warmth. Winter mornings at Republic City were always cold, and Korra dreaded waking up to them.

She thought about everything, her life, her decisions and choices, her duty as the Avatar.

Huh, Korra thought bitterly, her eyes narrowing; how could she even call herself the Avatar when she had no stability in her life.

She was homeless, had no family, no friends, no money. Only Naga.

Sweet, loving Naga. The only one who had been by her side through everything. Through homelessness, pain, the cold, _everything._ Naga was the only thing that remained constant in her life. _She_ loved her. She may only be a polar bear dog but their bond was strong, unbreakable.

The World didn't need their Avatar anymore, since Avatar Aang had fixed everything, ending the horrid hundred year war. The nations were united once again, working and living together in peace and happiness. The Avatar? Well, they were irrelevant now, according to newspapers. Avatar Aang had done his job.

True, she had saved Asami last night. However, it didn't make her any more the Avatar. Helping people may be the Avatar's job, but it shouldn't just be _their_ duty - in Korra's opinion, you should help those in need whenever you can, whoever you are.

Korra remembered Asami's genuine kindness and appreciation. It made her smile, just the slightest.

The smile didn't last very long, however. They never did.

...

Asami had called in to inform her staff she couldn't make it to work this morning. She'd informed her assistant about the attack the previous night and told her that she just needed time to herself and would be back tomorrow.

Asami knew it probably wasn't a good idea to be taking days out, especially this time of year when business was at its peak, but she needed a day to herself where she could think of last night and come to terms with everything that had happened.

She was still slightly shaken by the firebending. She hated how the orange flames instantly forced painful memories to the front of her mind; she'd much rather have them hidden in the back of her mind, where she would never think of them or see the flames ever again.

Suddenly, the telephone rang. Asami sat in front of the phone and glanced at the number quickly. It wasn't one she recognised but she assumed it could just be a business call. She didn't usually give out her private number, usually only to potential business partners. She picked it up and held it to her ear, "Asami Sato here."

"Asami?"

The raven haired girl felt the urge to slam the phone down. Spirits, why was her father calling her?

She'd made it very, very clear to him when he was taken to prison that she wanted no contact with him.

"What is it?" Asami hissed down the phone, wishing she could airbend the whole thing out of the window.

"Asami," Hiroshi sighed happily, "I'm so happy to hear your voice. I-I've missed you, sweetheart. I haven't heard from you since-"

"Since you sided with the Equalists, who, may I add, are a group of terrorists. Can you blame me for not wanting to speak to you?" Asami yelled down the phone, almost shaking in anger. She had specified that she wanted absolutely no contact with him - not after what he did, what he stood for.

"Asami," He said gently, his voice choked. Asami knew he was crying. "I never meant to hurt you, you know that. You're the only thing I have left. Please, sweetheart, just hear me out."

No matter how much Asami wanted to hate her father, she couldn't help the way his choked up voice bought tears to her eyes, or the the guilt that bubbled in her stomach. "No, Dad. I can't."

She slammed the phone down, fearing that if she held the line for even a second longer, she'd give in and confess how much she missed his company, how much she missed her father.

She knew she shouldn't feel like that, but she couldn't help it. He'd been her only family since the death of her mother fourteen years ago.

When Asami found out the truth, that Hiroshi had been working with the Equalists, making them weapons and supplying them money, Asami had broken down in tears. She'd felt numb for so long after that, but her emptiness soon turned into bitter anger.

She was angry, furious that her father hadn't even considered her while he was galavanting around with the terrorist group. Angry that he hadn't considered her mother and his own deceased wife - Asami knew she would never let him do what he had been doing. Never. Her mother had been a kind woman, who loved everyone and saw them all as equal, bending or no bending.

Asami choked and let out an agonising sob. The tears came soon after, streaking down her cheeks and dripping onto the table. Small streaks soon became rivers, and her glistening eyes became flooded.

She was all on her own now. She didn't have her family to comfort her when was upset, not anymore.

She was alone - and it hurt like hell.

Sure, Mako and Bolin were still her best friends. But Mako was busy being a detective and Bolin was in the police force.

The three of them occasionally met up for lunch, or pro bending practise. The brothers liked to keep fit and learn more skills and techniques. The Fire Ferrets were still active, but they were currently missing a waterbender, and so didn't play the tournament the previous year.

This had given the brothers time to focus on the careers, both of them had managed to save up more than enough money to move out of Asami's and into their own respective apartments.

Mako lived alone, but was very close to both Asami's and Bolin's apartments. Bolin lived with Opal, his girlfriend.

Asami wiped her eyes quickly, almost stubbornly. She wasn't all alone - she had Bolin and Mako and Opal. They all loved her and cared for her and had been there for Asami after it was revealed what her father was doing. They'd supported her massively when Asami took over Future Industries.

She wasn't all alone.

So why did she feel so lonely?

...

 **A/N 1: So, we know Asami's story. (It's practically the same as the series, anyway.) But there is so much about Korra we don't know yet.**

 **A/N 2: Hopefully next chapter or the one after we'll be going into more depth for Korra's character. She will be OOC in this story, considering her past is so different from the series. However, I will still try to keep her personality in character. It might take a while to shine through the depression she's in at the moment, however. Also, I'm hoping to make the chapters longer. Since I write my stories on my phone (got no laptop), I don't actually know the word count until I post the story.**

 **A/N 3: Thanks for reading! I'd love it if you could leave a review or whatever! Suggestions are welcome, since I only have three more chapters written up so far! Thanks, friends!**


	3. Chapter 3

It had been three days since Korra had saved the raven haired woman.

She was still residing in the small alley way. She hadn't eaten in three days and her stomach was contracting painfully, sending her into dizzy, sickening spells.

Hugging herself in an effort to find warmth and comfort from the pain, Korra tried to calm the shivering in her limbs so she could focus on using firebending to heat herself up a little.

The more she tried, the more frustrated she became. She had hardly any energy from her lack of nutrition, and her bending was suffering severely from it. That and the shivering in her hands made it almost impossible to create a flame bigger than a tiny candle.

Korra knew what other homeless folk could be like. They'd steal from markets, offer their bodies for money and even blackmail people into giving them money. She'd even had one man try to steal her coat while she slept. Luckily she'd woken up and shooed him off (maybe a little aggressively... she was cold, okay?)

Korra wasn't like that, however. She would never allow herself to stoop that low. She would rather suffer than steal or blackmail someone else. It wasn't in her nature; and it shouldn't be anyone else's either.

Sometimes, maybe if she wasn't the Avatar, maybe if she was a different person, she wished she could be like those other people. Where she didn't care if others got hurt, didn't care if she took other people's possessions to satisfy her own needs. Where she only thought about herself and _her_ needs; no one else's.

But, that wasn't her. No matter how she had been treated in the past, no matter what had happened to her, she would never do such a thing. She'd been kicked down so many times in her life but she refused to become the person to do the kicking.

Korra felt a pounding headache drumming against her skull. Groaning, she stopped trying to warm herself up and steadied herself, waiting for the dull ache to pass.

As if on cue, a white head popped around the corner.

"Naga." Korra whispered gratefully, too disheveled to stand up and greet her polarbear dog with a hug.

Naga seemed to sense she wasn't feeling well and dropped a couple fish in the snow beside her master.

Korra smiled weakly, patting Naga's head in a thank you.

She quickly whipped her head around to see if anyone could see her or Naga. Korra summoned what was left of her weakening strength to light a tiny fire, to cook the fish.

Her stomach ached so badly, but she needed to preserve her strength, so waited not-so-patiently for the fish to fully cook. She was tempted to just blast it with fire but she just didn't have the energy.

Naga settled beside her in the thin layer of snow that the buildings had allowed to fit through. Her head was in Korra's lap, Korra stroked it gently. "Thanks, girl. You know I would've gone to get the fish myself, but last time I had the Police on my tail because apparently it's illegal to fish. In a river. Where the fish are. It's a dumb rule." She huffed.

Naga simply huffed and nestled her head into Korra's side. "I know, girl. I know it's cold, even for you. At least I know you've eaten now and you got back safely. I trust you with my life and everything, it's other people I don't trust. You never know, people around here might have a taste for polarbear dog meat. I don't think I'd be able to cope without you by my side."

When the Avatar decided that the fish was cooked enough, she wolfed them down as quickly as her mouth would allow her. The occasional bone would snap into her mouth, but she would fumble quickly to remove it, desperate to get food into her aching belly.

Soon, all that was left of the fish Naga had delivered were the heads and bones, which Korra disposed of in the trash. It wasn't a far trek to the nearest dumpster, since she slept three feet away from one.

It wasn't nice sleeping near the dumpster - but it offered shelter from the cold winds and it was there in case she needed - desperately needed - food. She'd only had to dig through them a couple times, and it wasn't a nice experience; it was a last resort, in case things got really rough.

During the hours when the two restaurants she slept between opened - which was 5pm till 11:30pm - Korra would clear up all the evidence that proved she had been in the alleyway and then wander the streets or sit in the park until the restaurants were closed and locked up for the night.

She didn't like people knowing she was homeless. It wasn't that she was embarrassed - she had been homeless for the majority of her life, after all, she didn't feel the shame much anymore. She only really got embarrassed when people caught her doing things she shouldn't be doing - such as sleeping in alleyways, and digging through the trash.

If she found a convenient place for her and Naga to sleep, she liked to keep it hidden away for as long as possible. If she hid away when people were likely to see her, they would never know she was there in first place, meaning she could stay longer.

It had worked for her. She'd been sleeping in that alleyway for just over a week now.

The Avatar walked around the park aimlessly, looking at the trees that were caked in glistening snow, admiring the sparkle on the frosted flowers as they reflected the street lights.

It was beautiful there; both day and night. She wished there was somewhere secluded in the park where she and Naga could stay - Korra was sure she'd never get tired of seeing the beautiful park.

It was the only place in Republic City that had both nature and wildlife.

Sure, Korra knew Naga plucked the fish from the river there, but humans and polar bear dogs were higher on the food chain. It was only natural, though Korra did feel slightly guilty by tampering with the wildlife that resided in the glorious park.

Korra settled on a bench that overlooked a small pond. A family of turtle ducks swam around the lake happily, creating small ripples in the pond. The movements of the water soothed Korra, in an odd way.

Her blue eyes fell on another turtle duck in the pond. This one was much smaller, and was struggling to keep up with its family.

The other turtle ducks carried on swimming, moving towards the far side of the pond, the smaller companion completely forgotten about, left behind.

Korra felt a stab of pain in her heart.

...

Asami had been sure to make extra time for working out - or, more specifically, her self defence training. She didn't want another incident like the other day, it shook her up way too much. As well as that, Asami liked to think her combat skills could possibly help someone else in need, too. Like Korra had helped her, in her time of need.

She always thought the self defence training her father had forced her take was so she could defend herself from people like her attackers, like the people who killed her mother. But as soon as she discovered what he father was _really_ up to, funding the Equalists and making weapons for them, she realised the truth; that he wasn't helping her in case she was attacked; he was training her. Training her to fight with the Equalists, to hunt down benders of all kinds and put to stop to their 'oppression'.

Not all benders were bad. Asami knew that. Korra had saved her life, put herself at risk to save Asami from that group of brutes. Korra was a good person - Mako, Bolin and Opal were good people, too.

The family that lived at Air Temple Island, the airbenders that had helped Opal with her airbending training; they were good too.

Those select few people who abused their power and bending abilities had been terrible to the Air Nation during the war - and the Air Acolytes found the kindness in their hearts to forgive what had happened to them. They found the strength and love to help rebuild what had been lost.

They were good people. A _lot_ of benders were good people.

So how could her father believe that they were all bad?

Benders _had_ killed - murdered - her mother; that was true. But that didn't mean that her father, or anyone for that matter, had the right to label all benders like that.

Why was she even thinking about this? Even since her father had been caught and imprisoned, the Equalists activity had just stopped. And it was a good thing, too, considering it had all been revealed over a year ago.

Asami was somewhat glad her father had been caught. That ensured that Equalist activity and terrorism would be stopped before it even started.

She'd heard about this Equalist group for the first time just a mere week before he father was caught. She'd seen flyers around town and non benders preaching, saying how benders needed to be stopped for good. She had no idea that her father had been funding them money and creating weapons for them to use.

Luckily, the police force had discovered the weapons before the Equalists had a chance to use them; before people got hurt.

Police were still on alert. Ever since Hiroshi's imprisonment, no other witnesses came forward with information, and the other members were never discovered. Hiroshi had refused to give any information when he was interviewed and put on trial. Asami did find it a little strange that Equalist preaches had just stopped when her father was caught, but she guessed that if they had no weapons to fight with, they couldn't fight at all.

How could her father become so twisted? So _cruel?_

Her aching muscles pulled her from her thoughts. Her knuckles throbbed in time with her erratic heartbeat. Maybe she'd gone a little too hard on the punching bag.

Asami took a deep breath before warming down, doing some simple stretches in hopes that it would it would lessen the pain she'd feel in her arms the next day.

Once Asami had showered and changed, she sat on the edge of her bed. She had around forty five minutes until she was due a phone call from a potential business partner, so she decided to take some time to chill out and clear her head. The call was important, after all, and she needed a clear mind.

Her thoughts drifted back to the girl, Korra.

The waterbender had been so brave, and so kind. It warmed Asami's heart to know that there were people willing to do good and expected nothing in return.

She wanted to meet her again, to thank her, to offer her a meal in a restaurant as a token of gratitude.

Asami dreaded to think what could've happened if heroic Korra hadn't been around. Those men could've wanted anything from her, and it made Asami shiver just thinking of all of the awful things they could've have planned for her.

Just a simple thank you was not enough. Asami needed to find Korra again.

...

 **A/N.1: Sorry if they chapter was a bit all over the place. I needed to get the Equalist story around. To clear things up, since Hiroshi was discovered so early, the Equalists never got the chance to become big time terrorists, which is why Korra doesn't know who they are. Since they were 'stopped' before anything really bad happened, Tenzin didn't inform Korra about it.**

 **A/N.2: There should be some action coming in a few chapters time. In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **A/N.3: Please drop a review!**


	4. Chapter 4

Korra aimlessly walked around the Republic City streets. It was raining slightly, but she didn't make an effort to shelter her clothes. She liked water, it was the first element she mastered, and the first she had discovered. Besides, her clothes could be dried by her bending the moisture out when she returned back to Naga.

Water was bittersweet. She liked to be reminded of her connection to water, however, it reminded her too much of home - and that was something she didn't enjoy pondering on.

The snow was starting to melt, thankfully. Hopefully it would make her nights a little warmer while she sat huddled up against the wall, with Naga curled around her protectively.

Suddenly a hand grabbed her shoulder and she jumped, raising her fists as she whipped round, ready to strike.

...

Needing to clear her head, Asami decided a walk might destress her mind a little.

She had decided to take a short drive. First she nipped into the best tea shop Republic City had to offer. After drinking her delicious beverage, she hopped back into the satomobile and drove to the park.

She loved the glorious park. There wasn't a lot of green in Republic City, so it was refreshing to see blooming flowers and green grass every once in a while.

It didn't look so green at the moment, since the snow still lingered, but it still looked just as beautiful. Icicles hung from the trees, dripping tiny droplets of water every few minutes into the thinning snow.

The melting snow still scrunched under her boots, but she was cautious - the snow had been around for a few days and she didn't want to slip and embarrass herself.

The park was still busy, however.

Asami watched a family having a snowball fight on her left. The presumed mother and son were throwing snowballs towards the father and daughter. Their laughter and happy squeals made Asami smile at their happiness, but it also sent a pang in her heart.

She remembered the times when she and her parents would play in the snow.

Shaking the memories from her head, Asami carried on trudging carefully through the snow.

The little girl playing the snow suddenly stopped hurtling snowballs at her brother and waved at Asami. Her cheeks and nose were rosy red and her knitted hat came down so far it almost covered her eyes.

Smiling at the tiny girl, Asami waved back at her.

The little girl squealed in delight before picking up a handful of snow again.

Asami couldn't help the tiny smile that graced her features. The girl looked so happy to be playing in the snow, spending time with her family. It was a lovely sight to see, even if it did remind her of bittersweet memories.

Asami caught a flash of blue out of the corner of her eye. She turned her body fully and almost leaped in joy when she saw a familiar water tribe woman walking around the park, hands thrust deep into her sweat pockets.

Asami's heart jumped. She was intent on finding the water tribe saviour again but she hadn't expected it to be _this_ easy.

A slight nervous tremor taking over her hands, she walked up to Korra and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, Korra."

Within a millisecond, Korra was facing her, fists raised.

Slightly startled, Asami took a step back and held up her hands to show she meant to harm. "Whoa, it's me."

Korra sighed and put her fists down, "I'm sorry. I didn't realise it was you. You just startled me, is all."

Asami smiled warmly, "It's okay. I was actually hoping I'd run into you."

Korra raised a brow out of curiosity, "Really?"

"Yeah." She started, "What you did for me the other day was... I just don't think a thank you will be enough. It'll never be enough. So I was just wondering if I could take you out for a meal or something. Even a coffee, if you don't want that."

Korra seemed shocked. For a few moments she was lost for words. Eventually, she uttered out, "No... No that's okay. You don't need to do that."

Asami reached down and grabbed one of Korra's hands. She flinched the the tiniest bit, which Asami noticed, but chose not to address. "Korra, please. It's not that I _need_ to do it, I want to. I don't feel like I owe you, I just want to say thank you in a way that doesn't involve me _just_ saying thank you."

Korra was silent for a few moments before shaking her head slightly, "Asami, it's okay. I wouldn't want you wasting your money on me."

Asami just squeezed Korra's dark hand tighter, "That won't be a problem. Like I said, if you don't want to do dinner, coffee if fine. Or lunch. Whichever."

Korra sighed before offering a small smile, "Okay."

Asami grinned brightly, happiness rushing through her, "That's great! So what will it be?"

"I guess coffee or lunch. I don't have many snazzy clothes to wear out for dinner."

Asami giggled, "That's fine. I know a good place for lunch. Tup's Diner is one of the best in republic city! Are you free tonight? Around seven?"

Korra nodded, "Sure. Is it okay if we make it seven fifteen? I need to make sure Naga is settled before I leave."

Asami, realising she was still holding the water tribe girls hand, let go quickly before responding, "Of course. Is Naga your pet?"

Korra smiled the brightest Asami had ever seen her, "Yeah. My polar bear dog. She's like my best friend so she doesn't really like it if I leave her when she's not asleep. She gets a litttle stressed out."

"That's so sweet. I've never seen a polar bear dog, I'd love to meet her."

Korra smiled warmly, "I'm sure she'd like you."

"Thank you, Korra." Said Asami.

Korra waved her hand, brushing off the comment, "I told you you don't need to say thank you, Asami. Of course I wanted to help you, it was no trouble."

"No, Korra. Thank you for agreeing to this, to dinner. I'm happy that you did."

Korra looked pleasantly shocked, "Oh, oh it's no problem."

Asami giggled at the flustered woman's face. "So I'll see you tonight? Seven fifteen?"

Korra smiled gently, the corners of her mouth turning upwards the slightest, "Sure. Seven fifteen."

"Great!" Asami exclaimed, "See you then." Then she leant down and pressed a quick, chaste kiss on Korra's cheek.

Before Korra had the chance to react, Asami was already away, her back turned to her.

Korra raised her hand and gently pressed her fingertips to the tingling area of her cheek. Asami had kissed her...

A tiny grin spread across Korra's lips.

The grin soon fell, though. Korra felt the anxiety and paranoid thoughts racing through her mind.

Did Asami not care that she was dirty, filthy, in fact?

Her eyes widening, Korra realised that she would need a good clean up before her meeting with Asami. She didn't even have a change of clothes, so this would have to do it. But the dirt needed to go.

Asami would probably bolt if she entered the diner looking like that.

Korra sighed. Oh, the perks of being homeless.

...

 _Flashback - three years ago_

 _Air Temple Island truly was beautiful. Green, rustling trees swayed in the wind and intricate pillars stood tall. The waves of the ocean lapped against the rocks, making the sound almost comforting._

 _Korra walked slowly up the steps, a heavy bag containing food she'd collected over the weeks and a few changes of clothes. Naga followed behind, taking in the scent of the fresh, slightly salty air._

 _Once Korra reached the top of the steps, she stopped and glanced around. There were a couple of smaller buildings around the base of the huge tower that stood tall in the middle of the island. Surrounding the buildings were small streams and bushes. Orange, green and yellow leaves swept past her with gusts of wind._

 _Once Korra reached the door of the air Temple, she sighed nervously and knocked on the door._

 _After a few minutes, a man with arrow tattoos opened the door. "Hello? Can I help you?"_

 _Korra took in the senior's appearance. Yellow and orange Air Acolyte robes, blue arrow tattoos and a bald head - he must be Aang's son, right?_

" _Hi, my name is Korra. Is it okay if I have a word with you?" She said, noticing a woman standing behind the man, "Privately." She added quickly._

 _The man nodded before whispering something to the woman. She walked away and the man stepped out, closing the door behind him quietly. "What can I help you with, young one?"_

 _Korra chewed on her lip nervously, trying to order herself to man up a little. "I think, well, I'm an airbender. And I need a teacher, so I was wondering maybe you could teach me?"_

 _The man studied her for a moment and Korra got that familiar feeling. The feeling she got when people eyed up her worn clothes and the dirt smudged all over her, when people turned up their noses at her when she saw that she was just some homeless, street scum._

 _But his eyes weren't cold, however. They were curious, unknowing, interested... and, hopeful?_

 _He raised a hand to his chin and thought for a moment. "I don't see why not. Why don't you come inside, we can discuss this over a cup of tea. My name is Tenzin - I'm the Island Keeper."_

 _Korra shifted the heavy bag on her shoulder, "It's nice to meet you, Tenzin."_

" _Follow me."_

 **...**

 **Chapter 4, done and dusted! We will get into Korra's past soon, I promise. In a few chapters or so. I have chapters 5 and 6 written up already, so chapter 7 should have more details about why Korra is homeless. We'll see.**

 **Again, thanks for reading and please take the time to review! It keeps me motivated!**


	5. Chapter 5

It was 6pm.

The young Avatar scrubbed at her face with a wet rag, washing away all of the dust and dirt that had coated her face.

She grimaced when she saw the state of the rag - she hadn't even realised her face was that dirty. After all, she didn't really have a mirror or anything so she could look at herself.

Korra made an effort to scrub out the dirt that stained her parka, tank and sweats. Some of the stains were hopeless, and there were a few holes littered here and there, but she looked a lot better.

Clothes? Check.

Hands? Check.

Face? Check.

Hair?

Korra mentally kicked herself. How could she forget her hair? Her dirty, matted hair.

Hopefully a few waterbending tricks could sort it. She really, _really_ didn't want to show up at the diner looking grotty. For her sake and Asami's - _and_ everyone who worked there.

It was times like these when Korra wondered what it was like to live a normal life. With shelter, food and money. Where people worked for a living to earn their wages, and spent it on their necessities and things they wanted.

Korra rarely got what she needed, and _never_ got what she wanted.

She would love to be able to buy toys for Naga, to get a nice collar for her.

She would love to have a place to stay, where she could buy gym equipment and work out. Have a balanced diet and train.

Too bad she'd never have that.

Korra knew that there was no point dwelling on things she couldn't have. She'd been homeless for the majority of her life, had adjusted to its ways. But she couldn't help but wonder what it'd be like to live a normal life, with a family that loved her, friends that cared for her.

It was only natural that she'd think of it every once in a while.

When it came to six forty five, Korra ensured that Naga was snuggled up tight beside the dumpster and had pool of water to drink from should she get thirsty.

Korra eventually reached the diner where she'd agreed to meet Asami.

She arrived at around seven. She knew she was early, and she supposed she should go in.

She wished she could, but she barely had the confidence when speaking to people she didn't know. Being homeless and alone for so long ensured that her social skills lacked greatly. Physical contact was a problem too.

She just didn't have the experience. Of talking to people, interacting with them - it was foreign to her. Sure she'd interacted with her bending teachers and market salespersons, but that was it. She could barely hold a conversation.

She had found Tenzin quite easy to talk to, when she started her airbending training. He was warm and kind, but kept his stern demeanour during training. Korra used to hate it, but in future she realised that it helped her training and made her the airbender she was today.

She missed Tenzin. She missed Pema and the airbending kids. They had been like her family, for a while. They never looked down on her, never turned their nose. They accepted her.

 _Flashback_

 _Korra set her bag down on the floor beside her and took a seat. The kitchen was nice, it was homely._

 _The tattooed man sat opposite her after placing a steaming mug in front of her._

 _Korra didn't know what to say, so she waited for the airbender to speak first._

" _So, Korra. What makes you think you're an airbender?" Tenzin asked her, taking a tiny sip from his mug._

 _Korra bit her lip anxiously, "I just am."_

 _Tenzin raised a brow, "Have you airbent before?"_

" _No. But I am. An airbender, I mean." She uttered out. She was so used to hiding her identity that she avoided even saying the word 'Avatar'._

 _Tenzin studied her over his mug, "You look more like a waterbender to me."_

 _Korra sighed, looking down at the warm, steaming mug in her hands. She decided to try a different approach, "Are you Aang's son?"_

 _Tenzin nodded._

 _Korra internally sighed in relief. He was Avatar Aang's son,_ he _wouldn't judge her. He would understand._

" _Well," Korra began, taking a breath before looking up, feeling more confident, "I'm the Avatar."_

 _Tenzin's eyes widened. The tattooed man placed his mug down and shuffled his chair closer to the table. "And you're sure of this?"_

 _Korra nodded, "Yes. I've mastered the other three elements. Air is all I have left to master."_

 _Tenzin bought a hand to his chin, "Surely the White Lotus would have trained you. They would have informed me when the Avatar was found. If you really are the Avatar, who taught you? Who were your teachers?"_

 _Korra clenched her jaw, not wanting to lie about her situation. But it was shameful, it was embarrassing. She hated speaking of her homelessness. She loathed it. "I started my training early. Not with the White Lotus. I traveled around and met masters in each nation. They trained me. I'm not even sure if the White Lotus knows about me."_

" _Why does nobody know about you then? Surely there must have been talk when the masters discovered that you were the Avatar." Tenzin said. "And they would've made contact with me, since I'm the only airbending Master around."_

" _No exactly..." Korra trailed off, "I didn't tell people I was the Avatar. People are... insistent that the Avatar is irrelevant now. I thought it would be better to keep it a secret - reveal myself if I'm ever needed."_

 _Tenzin looked deep in thought for a few moments, "So you just told each bender that you wanted to learn each specific element?"_

 _Korra nodded, "Pretty much. They never suspected a thing."_

" _I see..." He stroked his beard, deep in thought again. "I would be happy to teach you, Korra. On one condition."_

 _Korra grew anxious. What if Tenzin wanted her to reveal herself to the World? She didn't want to face rejection... not again. It hurt too badly. "What?"_

" _You will allow me to tell my mother."_

 _Korra looked puzzled for a moment, "Your mother?"_

" _Well, she_ is _Avatar Aang's wife after all. She would be happy to know that the next Avatar is alive and well. Don't worry - I will ask her to keep it secret. I respect your decision, as long as you still fulfil your duties as the Avatar."_

 _Korra nodded, feeling brighter than she had in a long time, "Of course. Thank you, Tenzin."_

 _Tenzin nodded his head, "No need to thank me, Korra. My father would be proud."_

 _Korra smiled, his words seeping deep into her bruised heart. Maybe things would begin to look up?_

 _Tenzin began to speak again, "We shall begin your training tomorrow morning at sunrise. I'll see you then."_

" _Thank you, Tenzin."_

 _..._

Korra shook her head, snapping herself out of her memories. Tenzin really had been kind to her, and she appreciated it a lot.

"What were you thinking about?"

Similar to their last meeting, Korra practically jumped out of her skin. She tried to play it cool, taking a deep breath, "Oh, nothing."

Asami smiled gently, "You haven't been waiting long, have you?"

Korra shook her head, "No. About five minutes, I thought I should wait for you before I go in."

"Thanks!" Asami then opened the door and walked though, pushing the door to give Korra enough time to pass through.

They soon found a vacant table and sat opposite each other.

Korra removed her parka and set it down beside her, folding it in a way that covered the holes. It would be embarrassing if Asami saw it and pointed it out.

"I just want to say thanks again - for agreeing to this. I feel much better knowing that I can say thank you in a different way." Asami said, grabbing a menu and skimming over the selections.

Korra mimicked her. "It's okay."

Korra's neck began to get hot as her eyes skimmed over all of the words on the menu. Hardly any of it made sense to her.

She hadn't learnt to read as a child. Since she had been homeless for so long, the only real skills she'd acquired over the years were bending and basic survival skills, such as how to keep warm and how to hunt for food.

"Everything on this menu looks so good! Is there anything that you fancy? And remember, it's on me, get whatever you want." The raven haired girl said enthusiastically, bringing the menu closer to her face so she could read it a little better.

Korra rubbed the back of her neck and bought the menu closer, trying to see if there were any words she recognised. She only really knew the basics, words such as 'the' and 'and' standing out to her. "Uh, not sure yet? What about you? What are some things that look good? After all, you've been here before right?"

Asami set her menu down flat on the table, "This sounds good; Barbecue style badger pig meat with smoked cheese, salsa, grilled onions and three other toppings of your choice. Served with double fried fries and salad garnish."

Korra's mouth began to water uncomfortably. She had no idea how all of that would taste but it sure as hell sounded amazing. She'd never eaten in a place like this, nor had she ever eaten food like that. "Y-Yeah. Sounds great. I think I might get that. If, if you don't mind?"

Asami laughed and brushed off her comment, "Korra, I'm serious. You can have whatever you want. I'm not short of money either so feel free to grab a dessert too. That caramel chocolate cake looks gorgeous."

Korra smiled awkwardly and looked at the menu again. The pictures of the food caused her stomach to rumble. Embarrassed, Korra's hand flew to her stomach, trying to suppress the noise a little.

Asami giggled and shook her head in amusement.

The waiter came over a moment later, "Good evening, ladies. Can I get you something to drink?"

Asami smiled up at the man, "Thank you. I'll just have a lime soda, please."

The waiter scribbled onto his notepad before turning to Korra, who's heart was racing madly as she had no idea what she was doing or what she wanted to drink. "I'll have what she's having. Please." In all honesty she had no idea what lime soda tasted like. She'd had soda before, and liked it, but it had been so long ago she hardly remembered what it tasted like.

She recalled travelling around the Earth Kingdom, at the age of around nine. She had been walking around some back alleys and found a full can of soda, just lying on the ground.

With a dry mouth and excitement leaping in her chest, she'd swooped down, opened it and taken a huge gulp. She loved it.

"No problem! I'll bring those over for you and if you're ready I'll take your food order." He said enthusiastically before turning on his heel and making his way over to the bar.

Korra fumbled with her hands anxiously, hoping Asami would say something soon to put her out of her nervous misery. Luckily for her, she did.

"So, Korra. What bought you to Republic City?" Said Asami, flicking her shiny, raven locks over her shoulder.

"Oh, uh, nothing really. I was just traveling around and decided to stop in Republic City. It's... nice... What about you?" Korra tried to keep the conversation following, she'd feel guilty if Asami did all the work. Anyway, Korra should be appreciative, since Asami was paying for all of this.

"I was born here. I work at Future Industries." Asami said proudly, but not in an overconfident way.

Wow, Korra thought. This lady really was something else. Working for the most famous and wealthy company in the world sure was impressive. "That's amazing! Can't be bad working for the most wealthy business in history can it?"

Asami shrugged, her hair falling over her shoulder a little, "Well it can be difficult. _Especially_ when you're the CEO." She smirked, ready for Korra's reaction. To her surprise, she didn't get much of one.

Usually when Asami told people she was the CEO of Future Industries they got all flustered and amazed by her presence. Not that she enjoyed people practically drooling over her, it was just a shock that Korra hadn't even reacted to it.

"Uh..." Korra trailed off, trying to figure out what to say. "Is that a good thing or...?"

Asami raised a brow, confused but slight intrigued with Korra's cluelessness. "Are you being serious or are you kidding?"

Korra was clearly embarrassed, a red blush staining her cheeks. She rubbed the back of her neck, opening and closing her mouth a few times before speaking barely above a whisper, "I, uh, didn't go to school. Sorry, I'm being stupid."

"Here you go, ladies!" The waiter was back, balancing a tray with their drinks. He placed the sodas down and pulled out his pad again, "What can I get for you?"

Asami, feeling slightly guilty for embarrassing Korra, ordered her's first, "I'll take the barbecue badger burger please."

"And what three extra toppings would you like with that, ma'am?"

"I'll take pickles, tomato and extra cheese, please."

The way she spoke so confidently made Korra feel slightly jealous. Where did that kind of confidence come from?

"And you, miss?" The waiter asked, clicking his pen a few times to indicate that he was ready.

"I'll take the same, please." She uttered, swirling her straw through her soda. She hated not being able to read, hated not having been to school or learnt things.

"I'm sorry," Asami started when the waiter left, "I didn't mean to sound horrible. In all fairness, I was just shocked because usually when I tell people I'm the CEO, they start acting like I'm the queen or something, which I don't like." She said gently, hoping Korra understood that she didn't mean to upset her.

"It's okay," Korra replied, "But, uh, what even is a CEO?"

Asami chuckled, "Chief Executive Officer. To clear it up a little, I own Future Industries."

Korra let out a long, "Ohhhhh...". She owned Future Industries?!

Asami smiled, "So you know what I do now. What about you?"

Korra couldn't help but feel so little, so insignificant while talking to Asami. This woman _owned_ Future Industries! And what was Korra compared to that? She was homeless, common street scum compared to her. She should be kissing her feet, not eating dinner with her - which _she_ was paying for!

"I... Well, I'm unemployed at the moment. But I used to work with animals. Just making sure they were fed and looked after and everything." It was the first thing that came into her mind, and while it was a lie, she assumed it would be quite convincing. She looked after Naga as best as she could, so she supposed it wasn't _that_ bad of a lie.

"That's amazing! So, we you like a veterinarian assistant?" Asami asked, interest and curiosity shining in her emerald eyes.

In all honesty, Korra had no idea what that meant, "Yeah, of some sorts. I just really love helping animals."

"That's so adorable. No wonder you love your polar bear dog so much."

 _Of course I do. She's been the only constant thing in my life since I was a child._ "She's a real charmer. You can't help but love her."

Korra smelt the food before it was even placed down on their table.

Her stomach growled painfully and her mouth began to water sickeningly. She felt slightly dizzy - when was the last time she even ate? She didn't remember.

The food was placed in front of her.

Now all she had to do was figure out a way to not scoff it all down in two minutes.

...

 **A/N:1 Bit of crap ending to his chapter, but I figured this one was getting long so it needed to end sometime. Dinner date part two coming next chapter!**

 **A/N:2 Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! More flashbacks to come, and soon we'll find out why Korra is homeless.**

 **A/N:3 Please take the time to review! Thanks again!**


	6. Chapter 6

The scent of the food filled her nostrils.

There it sat, steaming, inviting her to just gobble it all down.

Her stomach contracted painfully, mouth watering uncontrollably. She scrunched her eyes shut for a moment, resisting the urge to just dive straight in.

Korra waited impatiently for Asami to start eating her food. She didn't want to seem rude by starting hers first.

Asami pulled out a knife and fork from the cutlery bucket and stabbed a couple of fries onto it. She placed them into her mouth and hummed in delight.

Korra, too hungry to really care about using cutlery, plucked one of the fries from the pile and bit into it.

It may have just been a simple chip, but to Korra, it was bursting with flavour. It was amazing, she wished she had an extra bowl all to herself to just scoff down.

"So, Korra." Asami asked as they continued to eat their meal, "Got any hobbies?"

"Uhhh, not really. I like to work out and practise my bending a lot. There's always something new to learn." Korra found it nice that Asami seemed interested in her personal life. She was sweet, and kind, and Korra knew that not a lot of people had those kinds of traits these days. "What about you? Are you a bender?"

Asami coughed a little before recovering, taking a small sip of her soda, "I'm not a bender, no." She was silent for a moment, which Korra thought was a little odd. She brushed it off, assuming Asami had scratched her throat or something when she coughed. "I work a lot. You know, being CEO isn't just ordering everyone around. But in my spare time I like to work on my satomobile and sketch out plans and prints for new ideas. It's not like work to me, it's more like a hobby. I love creating."

Korra nodded, picking up the burger and taking a bite. The flavour, the texture and just the _feel_ of it in her mouth was almost intoxicating. She'd never, in her whole life, tasted anything so _magical,_ so _delicious._ "It's great how you enjoy your job so much. You work hard, it must be rewarding."

Asami nodded, picking up her burger. "It sure is!" She winked, biting into her burger and humming at the taste. "How's your food?"

Korra swallowed the mouthful she was chewing on. She was working so hard to take her time and pace herself. She wanted to savour this meal, since she doubted she'd never have anything like this again. "It's amazing."

Asami laughed, agreeing with Korra's statement.

The two ate and chatted a little about the weather. When they were done with their food, they pushed their plates to the side of the table and carried on talking.

Korra felt fairly satisfied. She wasn't overly full, but the delicious food had definitely filled a hole. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this full. It already felt like her energy had returned, just from that one meal.

"You know," Asami began, "My friends Mako and Bolin are professional pro benders. They're looking for a waterbender to complete their team. I've seen you waterbend, and you're amazing. Would you consider trying out for the team?"

Korra's jaw dropped, "R-really?"

"Sure!" Asami exclaimed happily, "You seemed like a great bender when you saved me. You stay in shape, too. I think you'd be fit for the team. Of course, if you can handle the fame that comes with it." She winked playfully.

Korra was at a loss for words. If she became a pro bender, she could make money. She could buy food for her and Naga, new clothes, maybe even save up enough for an apartment. "I-I would love to. Thank you, Asami."

"Don't worry about it. It's the least I could do after what you did for me. Here," she grabbed a napkin and pulled out a pen from her bag, "I'll write you down Mako's number so you can call him to arrange a date for your audition."

"Err, I don't think that will be necessary, Asami. I don't have a phone."

Asami looked puzzled, raising a brow, "You don't have a phone?"

Korra shook her head and felt that undeniable shame filling her being again. "Yeah, I-I mean no. I don't have one. I only just recently moved here. I just haven't bought one yet, that's all."

"That's fine." She slip over the napkin and pen to Korra, "Why don't you write your address down on here and I can get Mako or Bolin to pay you a visit."

Korra's heart pounded and she felt sweat forming on her neck, "Uhh, I can't do that."

Asami laughed, "Why not?"

"Because you shouldn't give your address out to strangers...?" Korra said, trying to make it sound convincing. The truth was, she couldn't write either. _Huh, some kind of Avatar you are._

"Korra, it's fine, Mako and Bolin are with the police force, they won't-"

"So how was everything for you ladies?" The waiter was back and piling up their plates.

"It was great, thank you." Asami said politely, greeting him again with a bright smile.

"Would you like the bill now or would you like to look at the desserts menu?"

Asami replied almost instantly, "We'll take a look at the menu, please."

The waiter nodded happily and returned a moment later with the menu's.

Once again, Korra skimmed over the unknown words and focussed more on the pictures. They were interesting to look at, and was a good way of fooling Asami into thinking she was just reading the menu. Korra eyed Asami over the menu, "What are you thinking of getting?"

"I can't decide between the chocolate fudge cake or the chocolate waffle with vanilla ice cream."

Korra clenched her teeth together, trying to ignore the fact that she was _still_ hungry. "Both sound good to me. I think I'll go for the cake."

Asami nodded, placing down her menu. She picked up the pen and napkin again, scribbling on it. "Here, that's my address. Feel free to drop by whenever. Mako and Bolin come round quite often, so you'll be able to arrange something with them. They really need a waterbender, and I know you're the person for the job."

Korra took the napkin nervously and scanned her eyes over the writing. "Uh, can you just tell me the address? Your writing is a little messy."

"Korra..." Asami said cautiously, being careful to not overstep boundaries, "Can you read?"

Korra sighed, that all too familiar feeling of shame and embarrassment welling up inside her. "No."

Asami shuffled forward and gently held one of Korra's hands, "Hey, there's no need to be embarrassed. You didn't go to school, that's not your fault. I won't judge you because you can't read."

The waterbender shifted uncomfortably, "It's just not something I'm proud of. It's embarrassing."

The raven haired woman gripped her hand a little tighter, "Like I said, don't worry about it. It doesn't change the kind, brave person you are. You're still the girl that saved me."

Korra felt a smile pull at the corner of her lips. "Thanks... tha-that really means a lot."

"No problem. Anyways, my address is easy to remember. Sato Estate."

"Sato Estate." Korra repeated, "I think I can remember that."

"Great. Now let's order these desserts!"

...

The dessert was marvellous. It was unlike anything she'd ever eaten in her life. Korra was sure she'd be seeing that chocolate cake, oozing with hot fudge, for at least a week in her dreams; it was heavenly.

The snow fell lightly, settling in the two girls' hair. "It's beautiful when it snows, isn't it?" Asami said, looking up towards the sky, gazing as the tiny white puffs floated down from the dark sky.

Korra looked up too, "Yeah... I guess so." Snow reminded her of home, of abandonment, of being alone.

Asami adjusted her coat, wrapping it around herself more in an effort to keep the heat in, "I guess it's not as exciting for you. Bet you got sick of the snow back home, right?"

Korra clenched her jaw, forbidding herself to think of 'home'. "I guess so." She ground out, trying not to sound as upset as she felt. No matter what, no matter how much she tried to suppress it, she'd never forget what happened to her.

Asami turned towards the Avatar, "Thank you, again; for agreeing to this. It means a lot." She smiled genuinely when she spoke, making Korra's heart warm a little.

"No, Asami. Thank you for taking me out, it was amazing. I really appreciate it." She more than just appreciated it. She was thankful for the kindness, the food, everything. She didn't think she'd even felt this satisfied, this full after eating. She liked it, in an odd way, feeling so podgy and bloated - it was new.

"Do you need a ride home?" Said Asami, digging into her bag to find her keys. They were jingling, but she couldn't quite find them.

Korra smiled, "You've done enough for tonight, Asami. Anyway, Naga will need a run around when I get back so I'll walk, try to adapt to the cold before I get there. Thanks, anyway. For everything. I had a lovely time."

The CEO finally located her keys, "Ah ha! And if you're sure?"

Korra nodded, "I'm sure."

"So I'll be seeing you soon then?"

Korra pushed her hands into her sweat pockets, "Sure. How about tomorrow, if you're not busy?"

Asami smiled, "Tomorrow sounds great. I'll see you then." She gave Korra a small wave before turning and walking to her satomobile.

Korra made sure Asami got there safely before turning and walking back to her alleyway.

She'd noticed that the damage that Asami's satomobile had attained was already fixed up, no doubt by Asami herself.

The walk back to Naga didn't take long. When Korra arrived back, she was still sleeping peacefully, curled up next to the dumpster where she had left her.

Korra patted Naga's head gently before sliding down the wall, curling into Naga for comfort and warmth. "Hey Naga," she whispered, slowly ruffling her freezing fingers through Naga's white fur, "I had an amazing time. I wish I could've bought some food back for you, you would've loved it."

Naga huffed gently.

Korra thought back to Asami's kind offer - could she really become a pro bender? Earn money just by bending, and being a team player?

Maybe things would start to look up.

For the first time in a long time, Korra fell asleep with a smile on her face.

...

 **Another chapter down!**

 **Korra meets Mako and Bolin next time around, we mighttt just find out some more about Korra's past.**

 **Also who wants to see some Mako and Korra jealously/fighting over Asami? Cause I sure as hell do!**

 **Thanks for reading, please drop a review! Keeps me motivated!**


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